March 14, 2008
TEMPE, Ariz. -
By Matt Storey
Top ranked Arizona State came from six runs down in the first inning to earn a 15-9 victory over Troy. The Sun Devils improved to 15-0 on the season in front of a crowd of 2,567 at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark.
Starting pitcher Jason Franzblau gave up four runs and failed to record an out before giving way to Stephen Sauer in the top of the first. Sauer allowed two runs, one earned, after entering, but went on to earn the victory and improve to 2-0 on the season, going five innings and striking out six.
ASU put four runs on the board in the second, as junior Ike Davis scored on a wild pitch, junior Marcel Champagnie scored on a bunt single by senior Ryan Sontag and senior Rocky Laguna capped off the inning with a two-run homer to left center.
The Sun Devils then took command of the game in the fifth with seven runs. Sophomore Jason Kipnis started the inning with a two-run homer off the Green Monster in center to tie the game, and junior Kiel Roling then had an RBI single to put his team in the lead to stay. A Sontag sacrifice fly was dropped by the Trojans leftfielder to bring in two more runs, junior Mike Murphy walked with the bases loaded and Kipnis then finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly that scored Sontag.
Sontag drove in another run with a double in the sixth inning, and the Devils then added three more in the seventh on a Davis sacrifice fly, a Champagnie double and a wild pitch that scored Roling.
Troy got two runs in the eighth and another in the ninth, but it was not enough.
Champagnie had four hits to lead the ASU offense, Wallace added three hits and Kipnis and Sontag each drove in three runs in the victory.
The Sun Devils host Troy again tomorrow night, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark.